Alviro Patterson wrote:80,000 for an exhibition football match is as good as it gets, very few games exceed those attendance figures when it comes to competitive domestic matches.

I do realize that, but this was the first time (I think) that Real Madrid played out here. And with the Italian diaspora out here, I was expecting a full house. I was a bit disappointed with the large sections of the stadium being empty. We do get a lot of sport in Melbourne, I just thought this would have been bigger than it was. The Liverpool game two years ago was massive. Maybe just bring them out, and maybe United. OK, and Barcelona. I guess at the end of the day, everyone had a run and the clubs sold a few shirts.

I can't help but feel that soccer would have a better chance in Australia if it were played on an oval shaped ground with an oval shaped ball, 18 players per side, field umpires who are visually impaired, and four quarters of 20 minutes plus time on.

Maybe it's down to a lack of a domestic household name. If it was Leeds United visiting the MCG with Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell taking the field, I reckon that would get a greater response.

In Phil Parkinson we trust"You won't get anywhere slouching about half out of bed""They took all our players away, banned our captain and we still came away with a ten-wicket victory"

Alviro Patterson wrote:80,000 for an exhibition football match is as good as it gets, very few games exceed those attendance figures when it comes to competitive domestic matches.

I do realize that, but this was the first time (I think) that Real Madrid played out here. And with the Italian diaspora out here, I was expecting a full house. I was a bit disappointed with the large sections of the stadium being empty. We do get a lot of sport in Melbourne, I just thought this would have been bigger than it was. The Liverpool game two years ago was massive. Maybe just bring them out, and maybe United. OK, and Barcelona. I guess at the end of the day, everyone had a run and the clubs sold a few shirts.

I can't help but feel that soccer would have a better chance in Australia if it were played on an oval shaped ground with an oval shaped ball, 18 players per side, field umpires who are visually impaired, and four quarters of 20 minutes plus time on.

The AFL is doing the right thing to beware the sleeping giant that Football is in Aus. It will become a genuine competitor for the NRL and AFL, imo - but especially the ARU. Soccer is on the (fairly rapid) increase, Rugby is on the wane, in a fairly big way. AFL is also slightly on the nose - hence them having a look at things like player numbers (should be cut to 15, imo).

I have the idea that when Liverpool played at the MCG a couple of years ago, it was the largest crowd the club had ever been in front of (92-95K?) - at the very least it would have been the most amount of Liverpool fans, and the most people singing Never Walk Alone together.

The Socceroos take on Asian football powerhouse Bangladesh tonight in a WC qualifier. Can't wait!

"Hey, doll. Could you scare up another round for our table over here? And tell the cook this is low grade dog food. I've had better food at the ballgame, you know? This steak still has marks from where the jockey was hitting it." Al Czervik, aka Rodney Dangerfield in "Caddyshack" (1980)

Team(s) Supported: Aussie cricket team, Liverpool FC (it's a long story) and the mighty blue boys in the AFL. I like watching good teams performing well. An advid fan of the Olympic Games. Looking forward to Rio in 2016 & Tokyo in 2020!

"Hey, doll. Could you scare up another round for our table over here? And tell the cook this is low grade dog food. I've had better food at the ballgame, you know? This steak still has marks from where the jockey was hitting it." Al Czervik, aka Rodney Dangerfield in "Caddyshack" (1980)

Team(s) Supported: Aussie cricket team, Liverpool FC (it's a long story) and the mighty blue boys in the AFL. I like watching good teams performing well. An advid fan of the Olympic Games. Looking forward to Rio in 2016 & Tokyo in 2020!

The Socceroos are in Tajikistan tonight. This should be another walloping.

"Hey, doll. Could you scare up another round for our table over here? And tell the cook this is low grade dog food. I've had better food at the ballgame, you know? This steak still has marks from where the jockey was hitting it." Al Czervik, aka Rodney Dangerfield in "Caddyshack" (1980)

Team(s) Supported: Aussie cricket team, Liverpool FC (it's a long story) and the mighty blue boys in the AFL. I like watching good teams performing well. An advid fan of the Olympic Games. Looking forward to Rio in 2016 & Tokyo in 2020!

The Socceroos are in Amman, to face Jordan. A few faces are missing from the starting line up, but I think we'll turn them over.

"Hey, doll. Could you scare up another round for our table over here? And tell the cook this is low grade dog food. I've had better food at the ballgame, you know? This steak still has marks from where the jockey was hitting it." Al Czervik, aka Rodney Dangerfield in "Caddyshack" (1980)

Team(s) Supported: Aussie cricket team, Liverpool FC (it's a long story) and the mighty blue boys in the AFL. I like watching good teams performing well. An advid fan of the Olympic Games. Looking forward to Rio in 2016 & Tokyo in 2020!